It's un-metal to only criticize.

I don't need religion.God? Can't prove it. Only what can be proven is real.Kafka's so good, I read him over and over again.Democracy is stupid, but it works somehow, you know?

Standard metalhead:The above +The world around me is ugly, so Iet's drink lots of beer and bang our heads to loud, ugly music.

I'm tired of it. Everybody, even the lowest low-life, can criticize. Every asshole has an opinion. Do we need to consider them all? No.Most people are better off working with their mouths shut. Most metalheads too.

Moron: "Did you hear of this new philosopher? Haven't read a better criticism of our media."Non-moron: "I've read that the world we live in degenerates according to cyclic laws, and that at the start of the new cycle the world will be restored, albeit maybe without mankind."Moron: "Huh? What's this crazy shit? Didn't you know technology freed man? With it, we're gonna reach the stars!"Etc.

This is my opinion, of course, and you're free to correct me, but mind the above when you do.

It has been said on here many times that metal can be classed somewhat as a spiritual reaction to the modern world. Idiots can feel unhappy and unfulfilled too, which is why they can be drawn to metal music and keep listening to it without accomplishing anything. The clever people realise that what matters is what you do and think after this angry, rejectful music has stopped playing. This is where optimism can run wild.

Moron: "Did you hear of this new philosopher? Haven't read a better criticism of our media."Non-moron: "I've read that the world we live in degenerates according to cyclic laws, and that at the start of the new cycle the world will be restored, albeit maybe without mankind."Moron: "Huh? What's this crazy shit? Didn't you know technology freed man? With it, we're gonna reach the stars!"Etc.

Why I dislike metal which overplays Anti-Christianity. Also the fact that picking on such an easy target seems almost unsporting: in Europe at least Christianity is a joke, something like 5% of the English go to church, and half of them have no real belief. Modern secular morality is more worthy of criticism, and more pernicious. Its precepts are essentially the same as those of Christianity, and equally ridiculous. Yet unlike Christianity is gives no incentive to obey those precepts. No divine reward or infernal punishment: only the uncertain force of secular law and a belief that we will all get along better if we act nicely. So it actually makes less sense than kneeling to the cross.Unfortunately, while it is easy to make pithy Anti-Christian statements - invert the cross, etc, etc - which any idiot can grasp, opposition to slave morality is harder to communicate in what is essentially an extended pop song. There exists no convenient symbolism: perhaps why Swastikas are often resorted to.And as if this wasn't hard enough, then comes the impossible task of providing an alternative (again, Swastikas help here)....

Why I dislike metal which overplays Anti-Christianity. Also the fact that picking on such an easy target seems almost unsporting: in Europe at least Christianity is a joke, something like 5% of the English go to church, and half of them have no real belief. Modern secular morality is more worthy of criticism, and more pernicious. Its precepts are essentially the same as those of Christianity, and equally ridiculous. Yet unlike Christianity is gives no incentive to obey those precepts. No divine reward or infernal punishment: only the uncertain force of secular law and a belief that we will all get along better if we act nicely. So it actually makes less sense than kneeling to the cross.Unfortunately, while it is easy to make pithy Anti-Christian statements - invert the cross, etc, etc - which any idiot can grasp, opposition to slave morality is harder to communicate in what is essentially an extended pop song. There exists no convenient symbolism: perhaps why Swastikas are often resorted to.And as if this wasn't hard enough, then comes the impossible task of providing an alternative (again, Swastikas help here)....

in Europe religion is a more private thing, but in the USA its open book. i think that the reason many Anti Christian bands come from the USA is because it is so prevalent here. i dont think one would be able to watch a speech from a high ranking politician and not hear the word "God" mentioned at least once. truly sickening. what happened to separation of church and state?

Separation of church and state never really existed to the extent that most people think it did. America was, of course, founded on Christian principles but with the whole freedom of religion notion. The sad thing is, as desidia pointed out, that mindset has created somewhat of a national religion. We are left with a dumbed-down variation of Christianity which does not merely allow everyone to practice their own beliefs, it requires that each person accepts the beliefs of all others. This is where that atrocious morality comes into play. It's the basis of the problem Nous pointed out in the opening post. The system ultimately requires that we each uphold contradictory beliefs in order the live in harmony.

Why I dislike metal which overplays Anti-Christianity. Also the fact that picking on such an easy target seems almost unsporting: in Europe at least Christianity is a joke, something like 5% of the English go to church, and half of them have no real belief. Modern secular morality is more worthy of criticism, and more pernicious. Its precepts are essentially the same as those of Christianity, and equally ridiculous. Yet unlike Christianity is gives no incentive to obey those precepts. No divine reward or infernal punishment: only the uncertain force of secular law and a belief that we will all get along better if we act nicely. So it actually makes less sense than kneeling to the cross.Unfortunately, while it is easy to make pithy Anti-Christian statements - invert the cross, etc, etc - which any idiot can grasp, opposition to slave morality is harder to communicate in what is essentially an extended pop song. There exists no convenient symbolism: perhaps why Swastikas are often resorted to.And as if this wasn't hard enough, then comes the impossible task of providing an alternative (again, Swastikas help here)....

in Europe religion is a more private thing, but in the USA its open book. i think that the reason many Anti Christian bands come from the USA is because it is so prevalent here. i dont think one would be able to watch a speech from a high ranking politician and not hear the word "God" mentioned at least once. truly sickening. what happened to separation of church and state?

These are both fair observations. I am particularly glad to see the attack on "modern secular morality" and all it's noxious, dogma-free/post-christianisms that are more christian at heart than most christians could comprehend(is this not the clarion call of so much unbearably safe modern metal?). Slave-morality is a virus - it lives on even when its hosts are inevitably destroyed again and again, and simply re-invents itself anew! As noted, modern secular morality is even more aimless and without merit or substance than medieval christianity. Though based upon fairie-tales, at least the latter was actually based on something tangible...odious though it may be!

Separation of church and state never really existed to the extent that most people think it did. America was, of course, founded on Christian principles but with the whole freedom of religion notion. The sad thing is, as desidia pointed out, that mindset has created somewhat of a national religion. We are left with a dumbed-down variation of Christianity which does not merely allow everyone to practice their own beliefs, it requires that each person accepts the beliefs of all others. This is where that atrocious morality comes into play. It's the basis of the problem Nous pointed out in the opening post. The system ultimately requires that we each uphold contradictory beliefs in order the live in harmony.

well my point is, it USED to be much more separate. particularly with GW Bush's terms, the lines have become more blurred.

America sure did look good on paper at the start though. too bad all those pesky people had to come in and fuck up what a couple of bright minds thought of.

well my point is, it USED to be much more separate. particularly with GW Bush's terms, the lines have become more blurred.

Really? When was this exactly? Please, don't parrot all the overblown hype about Bush and all this alleged influence of the "religious right." Even the America I grew up in during the 1970's and 80's wore its religion on its sleeve and those lines you reference weren't so much "blurred" as often altogether non-existent. The idea that there is MORE religious influence in the public-sphere today as opposed to what "used to be" is just patently false.

Sadly, America is still a land that in many ways - particularly in certain areas - is hopelessly trapped in the dark ages with regard to stubbornly clinging to that hoary, malignant Semtic mysticism so many know and love. But let's look at the past with a clear eye. Again, as mentioned in several posts above, it is the quasi-christian morality of the "progressives" of today with their loathsome egalitarianism, hyper-tolerance and reconstituted secularized slave-morality that are every bit the threat as any apparent church-state violation ever was. Or to sum up...they both suck enormously.

Really? When was this exactly? Please, don't parrot all the overblown hype about Bush and all this alleged influence of the "religious right." Even the America I grew up in during the 1970's and 80's wore its religion on its sleeve and those lines you reference weren't so much "blurred" as often altogether non-existent. The idea that there is MORE religious influence in the public-sphere today as opposed to what "used to be" is just patently false.

Sadly, America is still a land that in many ways - particularly in certain areas - is hopelessly trapped in the dark ages with regard to stubbornly clinging to that hoary, malignant Semtic mysticism so many know and love. But let's look at the past with a clear eye. Again, as mentioned in several posts above, it is the quasi-christian morality of the "progressives" of today with their loathsome egalitarianism, hyper-tolerance and reconstituted secularized slave-morality that are every bit the threat as any apparent church-state violation ever was. Or to sum up...they both suck enormously.

im not parroting anything, theres no need to get snappy.

i would say that religion and state started getting more blurry in the 1950s with the whole commie scare. granted, i never said they were completely separate. the USA's founders were all religious men. but with the end of WWII and the perceived "Soviet Threat", there were so many changes which merged church and state (like the inclusion of Under God in the Pledge of Allegiance). im saying that compared to times before, the 1950s on has been a period of heightened religious propaganda.

i agree with your second statement, the USA is in a slump, and has been for some time. change is needed....even though thats been said dozens of times before, it is still true.

Have you people not ever opened up a history book!?! America has never been more godless than today. There was almost no separation of church and state before. In many areas the church was the state! The only difference is that there is now more open discussion over the separation of church and state and that's only true because there was no discussion over it before.